Mechanism for maintaining selfwinding watches wound



SEARCH ROOM KR 29926951 SUBSTITUTE. FOR MISSING XR March 1, 1960 F. SETTERBERG 2,926,519

MECHANISM FOR MAINTAINING SELF-WINDING WATCHES WOUND Filed Oct. 10, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FRED .SETTERBERG INVENTOR.

14 Horny March 1, 1960 F. SETTERBERG MECHANISM FOR MAINTAINING SELF-WINDING WATCHES WOUND Filed Oct. 10, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FRED SET TERBERG INVENTOR.

Af/amg Unite States Patent MECHANISM FOR MAINTAINING SELF- WINDING WATCHES WOUND Fred Setterberg, Norwalk, Calif. Application October 10, 1955, Serial No. 539,376

3 Claims. (Cl. 73-6) My invention relates to and has for a purpose the provision of a mechanism by which self-winding wrist watches can be automatically subjected to motion simulating those encountered during wearing of the watches, so as to maintain them wound incident to regulation of the watches by a watch repairman.

It is also a purpose of my invention to provide a mechanism of this character which embodies a control means that limits the rewinding motions to which the watches are subjected to a degree such that the timing thereof will not be affected, but, on the contrary, maintained once it is regulated.

A further purpose of my invention is to provide such a mechanism which embodies a removable carrier for the watches and their bands, that is one that is detachable from the remainder of the mechanism to permit the watches as mounted thereon to be stored in a safe for protection against theft.

Another purpose of my invention is to provide a watch carrier having means thereon by which a plurality of Watches and their bands can be securely and detachably held on the carrier against movement relative thereto so as not to be unduly agitated or displaced during movernent of the carrier to subject the watches to the rewindll'lg 1110110118.

1 will describe only one form of mechanism for maintaining self-winding wrist watches wound, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view showing in perspective one form of mechanism for maintaining self-winding wrist watches wound, embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail bottom plan view of the watch carrier shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view, partly in section, showing the supporting means for one end of the watch carrier and a part of the latter. the axle of the supporting means being illustrated in carrier-supporting position.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the supporting axle moved to a released or non-supporting position with respect to the carrier.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the mechanism showing two self-winding wrist watches mounted on the carrier thereof.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5 with a portion of a closure plate for the motor housing broken away.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing the watch "ice carrier turned to the vertical position resultant of operation of the motor of the mechanism.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing the watch carrier turned to a position in which the checking means of the mechanism becomes active to check the carrier against further watch agitating movement.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, my invention in its present embodiment comprises a base 15 of rectangular form, which may be constructed of wood or metal, and upon one end of which is secured a housing 16 for an electric motor 17. The motor 17 is of the type used in electric clocks, and serves to rotate a shaft 18 preferably through a speed-reduction gearing (not shown) so that the shaft rotates at a speed corresponding substantially to the second hand of a clock.

The shaft 18 extends through and projects from a closure plate 16a for the inner side of the housing 16, and for a distance such that a member 19 of block form can be secured on the projecting portion of the shaft by a screw 19a. By screws 19!; the bent end of a spring steel arm 20 is secured to one side of the member 19, with the remainder of the arm projecting laterally from the shaft 18 at a tangent thereto so that it is inclined rearwardly in respect to the counterclockwise rotation of the shaft, as when viewed in Fig. 6.

The mechanism also includes a carrier 21 for a plurality of self-winding wrist watches and their bands, and preferably it is in the form of a rectangular plate with down-turned flanges 21a at its longitudinal edges. This carrier is mounted for rotation about an axis coincident with the shaft 18 by means of bearing hangers or members 22 and 23, each being of L-form and having one arm thereof welded or otherwise secured to the bottom side of the carrier 21 at the respective end thereof, and the other arm extending upwardly from the carrier when the latter is in the position shown in Fig. 1.

The hanger 22 is journalled on the shaft 18, while the hanger 23 is journalled on an axle 24 (see Fig. 3). The axle 24 is mounted for axial movement transversely in the upper portion of an arm 25 fixed to the vertical portion of a bracket 26 that is secured by screws 26a to the base 15. Secured to the outer side of the arm 25 is the lower end of a spring 27, the upper end of which bears against a collar 28 fixed on the axle 24 between the spring and the arm 25. Thus the spring serves to urge the axle inwardly so that its inner end is maintained in the hanger 23 to rotatably support the respective end of the carrier 21.

If it is desired to detach the carrier from the axle to permit the carrier to also be detached from the shaft 18, and to thus allow the carrier to be completely removed for a purpose to be described hereinafter, it is only necessary for the user to grip a knurled head 29 on the outer end of the axle and pull the axle outwardly against the tension of the spring 27 to the position shown in Fig. 4 wherein, the inner end of the axle will be withdrawn from the hanger 23. This allows movement of the carrier in the direction of the axle to cause the hanger 22 to be moved off of the shaft 18.

The carrier 21 is designed to carry a plurality of selfwinding wrist Watches and their bands, and in Fig. 5 two of such watches 30 and their bands 31 are shown mounted on the carrier. To so mount each watch and its band a mounting or holding means is provided, each functioning to hold the wristband 31 in extended position and under tension to prevent movement of the band relative to the carrier, as well as to prevent accidental displacement of the watch and band from the carrier when the latter is rotated.

Each holding means comprises a coiled torsion spring 32 (see Fig. 2) which is mounted on a rod 33 secured to the underside of the carrier 21 by two end brackets 34 and an intermediate bracket 35. The springs 32 of adjacent holding means are maintained spaced one from the other longitudinally on the rod by sleeves 36 mounted on the rod. One tangential end portion 32a of each spring 32 bears against the underside of the carrier 21, while the other end 32b is bent to extend upwardly through a slot 37 in the carrier and so that its looped end 320 is urged to a position in which it projects to the outer side of the adjacent flange 21a so that it is readily accessible for lifting to extend the band 31 therebeneath, it being understood that the slot 37 allows of such move ment.

Coacting with each spring 32 is a peg or post 38, curved as shown, which extends to the upper side of the carrier 21 opposite the spring end 3212 and adjacent the other carrier flange 21a. This post 38 is welded or otherwise secured on the carrier, and is designed to hold one end of a wristband 31 thereon, and thus to coact with the spring portion 32b to maintain the band fixed on the carrier. The band is held under tension and edgewise on the carrier, as illustrated, so that the watch 30 occupies a similar edgewise position on the carrier with its winding stem disposed downwardly. To assist the band-holding means in securing the watch against movement on the carrier a slot 39 is formed in the carrier in which the stem edge of the watch is received, thus serving to hold the watch against movement on the carrier.

For rotating the carrier in the manner intended to so agitate the watches as to actuate the winding mechanisms thereof to maintain the main springs wound, a lug 40 is secured to the underside of the carrier 21 by a plate 41 so as to extend horizontally from the motor end of the carrier, and to be disposed in the path of rotation of the arm 20.

To prevent excess movement of the carrier 21 and, in consequence, to preclude excessive agitation of the watches to the extent that their timing may be affected, a check or stop means for the carrier is embodied in the mechanism. This check means is best shown in Fig. 8 as comprising an elongated member 42 secured on the base 15 by fasteners 43 so as to extend transversely of the carrier preferably at a point medially of the ends of the latter. This member 42 is made of resilient material, such as plastic material, and is of tubular form so that it is readily compressible longitudinally. The check means also includes a member 44 which may be constructed of the same material as the member 42 so as to possess the same characteristics, and it is made in U- form with its ends secured to a metal sleeve 45 (see Fig. 2) that is pivoted on a pin 46 mounted in a bracket 47 secured to the underside of the carrier 21. Thus the member 44 is hingedly supported at the lower side of the carrier, and to be moved by the latter in a path axially of the member 42.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows:

With one or more self-winding wrist watches 30 secured on the carrier 21 as described, and the carrier in the horizontal position shown in Fig. 6 wherein the arm 20 engages the lug 41, upon energization of the motor 17 by supplying current thereto through conductors 50 connected to a plug 51 that can be inserted into a wall socket, the arm 20 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction as when viewed in Fig. 6. Under such. rotation of the arm, the carrier 21, through the lug 40, is rotated upwardly as illustrated in Fig. 7 until it passes an upper dead-center position. On so doing, the carrier is free to fall, that is, rotate counterclockwise, first past the position shown in Fig. 8 and then back to such position where it is checked against further movement by the member 44 engaging the member 42. It should be clear that the member 44 being hinged allows the carrier to first move past checked position since it slides on the member 42. But as the carrier returns to this position the member 44 is moved into engagement with the adjacent flange 21a so as to cause it to compress and thus frictionally engage the member 42 and thereby hold the carrier against further movement in either direction.

Since rotation of the arm 20 is relatively slow (corresponding to the movement of the second hand of a clock) rotation of the carrier thereby is relatively slow, and, hence, does not agitate the watch or watches sufiiciently to produce such actuation of the rewinding mechanism of the watch as to rewind the spring thereof. However, the instant the carrier falls from upper dead-center position the resulting movement thereof operates to effect such agitation of the watch rewinding mechanism as to rewind the spring of the watch. Since this watch agitating motion by the carrier is only momentary being checked by the member 44 engaging the member 42, it is not sufiicient to affect timing of the watch, and, consequently, when the Watch is once regulated for accurate timing such regulation is not disturbed or altered.

The afore- 'escribed agitation of a watch or watches is by my mechanism periodically effected through continued rotation of the arm 20, since following movement of the carrier past upper dead-center position the lug 40 moves out of engagement with the arm upon falling of the carrier, to finally occupy the position shown in Fig. 8. In this position the lug remains until the arm 20, under its continued rotation by the motor 17, re-engages the lug to repeat the cycle of movement of the carrier and again agitate the watch.

My mechanism affords the advantage to a watch repairman of maintaining one or more watches wound after repair thereof so that he may determine if the watch requires regulation, and if so it can be effected and maintained until the watch is returned to the owner.

To prevent possible theft of the watch or watches when the mechanism is not in use, such as at night when all watches, and other jewelry, are placed in a safe, the carrier 21 with the watches thereon can be readily detached from the other parts of the mechanism and placed in the safe. Such detachment is permitted and easily effected by actuating the axle 24 to disengage the hanger 23 whereupon, the carrier can be detached from both the shaft 18 and the axle to allow its removal with the watches thereon.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of mechanism for maintaining self-winding watches wound embodying my invention, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A mechanism for maintaining self-winding watches wound, including: a support; a carrier for the watches mounted on the support for rotational movement; a motor; an arm fixed to and extending laterally from the shaft of the motor for rotation thereby; and a lug on the carrier at one side of its axis of rotation and disposed in the path of movement of the arm so that upon each complete rotation of the arm it engages the lug to partially rotate the carrier, and then disengages the lug permitting free fall of the carrier and causing it to oscillate.

2. A mechanism for maintaining self-winding watches wound, including: a support; a carrier for the watches mounted on the support for rotational movement; a motor; an arm fixed to and extending laterally from the shaft of the motor for rotation thereby; a lug on the carrier disposed in the path of movement of the arm so that under rotation of the latter it moves the lug to rotate the carrier from a horizontal starting position upwardly past an upper dead-center position in which the lug disengages the arm allowing the carrier to gravitationally rotate to and past its starting position; and coacting means on the support and the carrier for releasably holding the carrier against unlimited oscillating movement following rotation thereof past starting position.

3. A mechanism for maintaining self-winding watches wound as embodied in claim 2, wherein said means comprises a member pivoted on the carrier, and a flexible member fixed on the support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Copeland Dec. 30, 1890 Sauer Aug. 4, 1931 Haskins May 24, 1949 Epstein Apr. 17, 1951 Haister Sept. 1, 1953 Mozur Mar. 17, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Oct. 8, 1932 Switzerland Feb. 17, 1947 France Apr. 1, 1953 A" u 0. K 

